The global port community gathered in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for the IAPH (International Association of Ports and Harbors) World Ports Conference 2023. The event took place successfully from October 31 to November 2 and focused on the most pressing issues for ports worldwide, including energy transition, customer needs, and port leadership in essential areas such as governance, among other topics.

During the event, which saw the presence of MundoMarítimo's General Manager, Victor Gallardo, 30 high-level international speakers participated, with notable figures including Kitack Lim, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO); Ricardo Treviño, Deputy Secretary-General of the World Customs Organization (WCO); Sébastien Dessus, Director of the Global Trade and Regional Integration Unit at the World Bank, and Sahar Rashidbeigi, Global Director of Decarbonization at APM Terminals.

One of the factors that added significance to this event, according to Patrick Verhoeven, Managing Director of IAPH, was its timing between MEPC 80 in July and COP 28 scheduled for December. This was especially relevant due to the growing importance of the energy transition in the port industry.

Following a panel discussion with cargo owners (BCOs), the demands of the port industry's final consumers were also explored. This led to a workshop that looked at how the port community might work together along the supply chain to share information and improve cooperation to satisfy port users' needs.

Furthermore, discussions revolved around the leadership of the port industry in terms of governance and reflected on the sector's future needs.

#IAPH2023 Sustainability Awards

A highlight of the IAPH World Ports Conference was the official gala dinner on November 1, where the #IAPH2023 Sustainability Awards were presented.

Notably, South Korean ports dominated the awards, winning in three of the six categories. The Port of Dock Sud in Argentina received recognition in the Community Engagement category. The Port of Halifax received the Digitalization Award, and the insular Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife triumphed in the Climate and Energy category.

Additionally, three distinguished individuals were honored for their outstanding contributions to the association and granted the status of lifelong honorary members of IAPH. These honorees included Kitack Lim, the outgoing Secretary-General of IMO; the outgoing President of IAPH, Captain K. Subramaniam; and Robin Silvester, the outgoing Regional Vice President of IAPH for North America and former CEO of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.